Wire line hitch assembly



1942- L. H. ROBERTS 2,291,649

WIRE LINE HITCH ASSEMBLY Fi led June 11, 1940 s Sh'eets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MAX. m d QLMWYMM Mpg Aug. 4, 1942. L. H. ROBERTS 2,291,649

WIRE LINE HITCH ASSEMBLY Filed June 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVE'NTOR {Wm M. W1. W W m wuplttx.

WIRE LINE HITCH ASSEMBLY Filed June 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 4, 1942 WIRE LINE HITCH ASSEMBLY Leslie H. Roberts, Galva, Kans., assignor to Spang and Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 11, 1940, Serial No. 339,878

9 Claims. (01. 24123) This invention relates to wire line hitches such as used in the drilling and servicing of oil and gas Wells.

When a derrick is built or a mast erected, for the purpose of handling well drilling tools or installing or removing well tubing or pump rods, it

is customary to run through the pulley or crown block located at the top of the derrick or mast, a length of wire line cable, both ends of which reach to the ground. This line is known as the derrick line and its purpose is to provide means for drawing through the pulley or crown block the lines used in performing the work on the well.

Prior to my invention, when a hoisting cable was to be used, it was tied to the end of the derrick line and pulled over the pulley or crown block until the end of the hoisting cable reached the ground level. When this was accomplished the derrick line was laid aside and the hoisting cable was used in performing the necessary hoisting operation.

After completion of the hoisting operation, the derrick line was again attached to the end of the hoisting cable and as the hoisting cable was reeled onto its drum, the derrick line was pulled back over the crown block or pulley so that both ends were again at ground level, to be available when required.

Heretofore, the end of the hoisting cable has been attached to the eye or becket of the pulling hook or other hoisting apparatus by means of a wrap hitch and a number of wire line clamps. Obviously the shortness of the bend occasioned in making this wrap hitch and the use of wire line clamps left the end of the hoisting cable in a more or less permanently deformed condition, and, inasmuch as the wire used in the make-up of. hoisting cables has a relatively low elastic limit, the stresses set up in making these bends and in clamping the cable strands together caused breakages in individual wires in this portion of the hoisting cable considerably in advance of failure of the hoisting cable as a whole, with the result that it was necessary to frequently cut off that portion of the hoisting cable included in these wrap hitches.

The crown block or pulley at the top of either a mast or derrick is mounted between support members andsurrounded by guideways. These permit passage of relatively straight hoisting cable without difficulty but when the end of the cable was bent out of shape, it was quite difficult to draw the cable through the guideways and between thesupport members without leading it permitting it to drop beside the pulley or crown block where it frequently became fouled and securely wedged. When this happened it usually required at least two men to free it and replace it in the pulley or crown block groove. To do this the men had to climb the derrick or mast which consumed considerable time and involved a considerable degree of danger, especially when the rig elements were covered with snow or ice or when it was raining or when a severe wind was blowing.

Attaching and detaching the end of the hoisting cable to the elevating apparatus consumed considerable time and in addition, damagedthe hoisting cable, involving the cost of repair necessary to perform the work as well as the loss due to idleness of equiment.

An object of this invention is to produce an assembly of wire line hitch elements by the use of which the above dangers and waste of time and material are obviated in getting ready to pull the pumping rods or tubing from a well.

Another object is to produce an improved wire line hitch.

A further object is to produce a wire line hitch assembly, by the use of which stringing up or servicing of oil and gas wells can be materially simplified and cheapened.

Another object is to produce an improved connector member for use in a wire line hitch assembly.

A still further object is to produce a connector member for a wire line hitch assembly having a pivotally mounted bail at one end which is automatically locked in extended position and which may be released by a simple manual operation.

A still further object is to produce an extremely rugged'and readily manipulated wire line hitch assembly for use in the stringing up and servicing of oil and gas wells with portable well pulling units. 7 7

These and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in this particular art, I attain by means of the wire line hitch assembly described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of this application. I

In the drawings, throughout which similar elements are denoted by like characters:

Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views of a wire line assembly embodying this invention; Figures 1, '2 and 3 disclose the positions of certain of the parts entering into the make-up out of the groove of the pulley or crown block, of the assembly duringpthe act of assemblingsuch parts, while Figures 3 and 4 show such parts in assembled position.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of the wire line hitch connector member which forms part of the assembly. In this view, all of the elements entering into the make-up of the connector member are shown in perspective. Figure '7 is a side view of the connector member of the assembly with the bail thereof shown in two positions; in dotted lines swung to an off position and in full lines in normal position.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector member and is taken on line VIIIVlII of Fig. 4;

Figure 9 is a view in perspective of a derrick line hook permanently secured at one end of the derrick line and hooked into the staple, eye or becket of a hitch block, referred to in the well drilling art as a swivel. The hitch block is permanently secured to one end of the hoisting cable.

Figure 10 is a View in side elevation of the hitch block per se;

Figure 11 is a View in front elevation of a hitch block attached to a cable and equipped with its staple, eye or becket;

Figure 12 is a view in perspective of a modified form of wire line hitch assembly;

Figure 13 is a front view in elevation of a connector member disclosed in Figure 12; and

Figure14 is a sectional view taken on line XIVXIV of Figure 13.

The connector member The connector member of the wire line hitch assembly of the form disclosed in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive comprises a body portion l5, a bail l6 having its opposite ends, which are transversely pierced as at I1, confined for swinging movement between opposed pairs of bosses |8.--l,8. These bosses project from the inner end of body portion 15 and are pierced as shown in Figure 6 to receive stub shafts l9.-l9 which are headed at one end for abutment against the inner face of the inner of bosses 18-18 and which are ierced at their opposite ends to receive retaining cotter ins 2U. 'These stu'b shafts pass through openings l|l,'1 in the ends of the bail, and form the pivot members about which the bail is adapted to swing.

End 2| of one bail arm I6. is notched as at 22 to provide a squared seat which is contacted. by the end 23 of a lock member 24. when the bail is in normal position, that is, in line, with the body portion of the connector member as.

the bail'is locked against movement. 'ByrnQVing' the spring and lock member 24 to the dotted line position shown in Figure '7, the bail is released, and may be swung to an off position, such as shown by dotted lines in Figure 7 and in Figure 3. When the ball is moved from off to normal position, the lock member 24 by means of spring 25 is moved to locking position so that the bail will be automatically locked in normal or distended position. It will remain in this position until it is manually released by bending the spring to the dotted line position of Figure 7.

Body portion 15 of the connector member is provided with an axial or centrally located cylindrical socket 29 which extends from the inner or lower end of the body portion, between th pairs of bosses or ears I8l8, to a point 30 beyond the center of the body. This socket is open at its lower end and has its wall cham fered as shown at 3| in order to facilitate en trance thereinto of hitch block 32 (swivel).

Body portion l5, intermediate its ends and midway between the ends of socket 29, is provided with a cross channel or passage or bore 33. The diameter of this bore or cross channel is preferably the same as the diameter of cylindrical socket 29. Since hitch block 32 is provided with a key-like projection 34, the upper portion of bore 33 on one side of body portion I5 is provided with a rectangularly formed offset or enlargement 35 for accommodating the keylike projection 34 during passage of the hitch block through the body from one side to the other.

Body portion l5 above the bore or cross channel 33 is provided with a slot 36 having parallel wallsand which intercepts socket 29, the bore or cross channel 33, and extends to a point 31 beyond center line 38 of body portion 15.

Body portion IS on the opposite side from slot 33, and below borie or cross hole. 33, is provided with a slot 39 also having parallel walls and which also intercepts socket 29 and bore or cross hole 33.

The width of slots 36, and 39 is such as to permit the sidewise movement therethrough of the cable or'wire line 40, to one end of which hltchblock 33 is permanently secured.

Hitch block 32 is provided with a tapered or frusto-conically shaped cavity or hole 32a,-as shown by dotted lines-which extends therethrough, and, into this tapered hole one end of. the sucker rod line, or one end of the tub n line, as the case may be is permanently secured. Several methods of accomplishing this. are in general use, but I preferably make use. of a zinc, babbit or lead fill in the same manner as is done in securing one end of a drilling cable within the swivel. of a Wire line rope socket. The staple 41' which forms the eye, or'becket. of the hitch block is placed in position within the socket of the hitch block as shown in Figure 11 prior to the time the soft metal fill is intro.- duced.

When the well pulling unit is placed. in position, the eye or becket 411' of the hitch block attachedto the end. of either the suckerjrod line. or the tubing line, is hooked onto hook 42 attached to one end of the derrick line. 43, as. shown in Figure 9. Thefpulling of the. derrick line over the crown block or pulley, pullsl the. pulling line into place. The hitch'block. and the. derrick line hook are of relatively small. diameter and of such dimensions as'to easily. follow the, groove in the crown block or pulleyiwithout danger of jumping or being led out of thev crown block or pulley groove. s

Bail I6 of. the wireline. hitch is disconnected from the body portion l5- and placed through the eye or becket of the tubing block, the tubing. rod hook, the wigglefweight hook or otherime ple'ment as the work requires' Bail. I5 is then connected to body portion [5 of, the wire line? hitchKFigs.15inc1usive)-.

tion

The construction of the wire line hitch per-' mits the entry of the hitch block into position within its socket 29 while the connector member of the hitch assembly is attached'to the pulling tool. When the hitch block hasbeen pulled to the desired location, all that it is necessary to' do in order to connect the pulling line to the wire line hitch connector is to pass the hitch block horizontally through the cross through channel or bore 33 as shown in Figure 1, unlatch'lock member 24, swing the bail to an 01f position at an angle to body portion I 5 as shown in Figure 3 and give the hitch block a 90 movement to vertical position, Fig. 3, and then pull it vertically into socket 34 until its end 44 abuts the upper end of socket 29, Figs. 4 and 5. The bail is then moved to normal position, where it is automatically locked by lock member 24. The hitch block is then looked in place in its socket by means of cotter key 45, (see Fig. 5), which passes through notch 45 in key projection 34 of the hitch block. Bosses 41 located atthe sides of slot 39 and through aligned holes in which'cotter key 45 is passed, constitute, in conjunction with the walls of said slot 39, a key way for key projection 34, and prevent rotation of the hitch block within its socket. Because of this construction any degree of twist or back twist may be put in the line when two or more lines are being run.

In the modified form of connector member illustrated in Figures 12, 13 and 14, the bail 50 is formed as a unitary part of the body por- Aside from this, the wire line hitch connector member of Figures 1-8 inclusive and that of Figures 12, 13 and 14 are the same with the exception that the distance from the inner end 52 of the body portion 5! and the inner curved surface 53 of the bail is such that the hitch block 32 can be swung into position within the bail so as to align the same with its socket 54 in body portion 5|. For this reason, the overall length of the modifiedform of connector member (Figs. 12, 13 and 14) is somewhat greater than that of the preferred form (Figs. 1-8 inclusive).

When using this modified form, an 8 link is used for attaching bail 50 to the eye or becket of the instrument or tool to be used.

It will be apparent that when either form of connector member of the wire line hitch assembly of this application is used, the line is maintained straight and the difliculties above set forth in connection with the older method are eliminated, as well as the difficulties and hazards of men climbing the rig in icy, windy or snowy weather. It will also be apparent that the use of the wire line assembly of this application eliminates the use of soft rope for the pulling over operation; saves tear-down time; saves cut-off costs of pulling lines; saves wire line clamps and makes Well servicing quicker, cheaper, less arduous and much safer than with the older method.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cylindrical hitch block permanently attached to one end of a hoisting cable and for use with a detachable hitch; said hitch block having a projection extending outwardly from one side thereof; said hitch comprising a body having a hitch block socket therein, and a slot opening into said socket and within which the projection on said hitch block is adapted to be said block and hitch body.

2. In a detachable hitch for connecting hoisting cables and in combination with a cable having a cylindrical hitch block permanently attached to one end thereof, a body having a hitch 'block receiving socket therein and a passage extending through its side walls and intersecting said socket for p rmitting passage therethrough of the hitch block and the swinging of said cable into axial alignment with said socket, and means on said hitch block for preventing rotation thereof when seated within said socket.

3. In a detachable hitch for hoisting cables and for use with a cable having a cylindrical hitch block permanently attached to one end thereof and having an outwardly extending side projection, a body having a socket for receiving said hitch block, a passage extending straight through said body at right angles to said socket and which is so shaped as to permit said hitch block with its side projection to be threaded therethrough, and slots on opposite sides of said socket, one located above and the other below said passage; the construction and arrangement being such that when the hitch block is threaded through said passage its cable may be moved through said slots to align the hitch block with said socket with the side projection of the hitch block engaging the walls of one of said slots to prevent rotation of the block within the socket.

4. A detachable hitch for connecting hoisting cables and comprising a body having a socket .herein with one end open to receive a hitch clock, a channel extending through the body from side to side for passage therethrough of a hitch block in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said socket, and slots on opposite sides of said channel which connect with said socket and said channel, and a bail projecting from that end of the body adjacent the open end of said hitch block socket; the construction and arrangement being such that a. hitch block permanently attached to a hoisting cable can be passed through said channel, moved to position in front of the open end of said socket and then slid lengthwise into said socket.

5. A detachable hitch for connecting hoisting cables and comprising a body having a socket therein with one end open for reception of a hitch block, a channel extending through the body midway between the ends of said socket for passage therethrough of a hitch block; said body on opposite sides of said channel having slots which connect with said socket and said channel, a bail projecting from and pivotally connected to that end of the body adjacent the open end of said hitch block socket, and a manually releasable spring actuated latch for normally holding said bail in extended position with relation to said body; the construction and arrangement being such that a hitch block permanently attached to a hoisting cable can be passed through said channel, moved to position in front of said socket by releasing and swinging said ball and then seated within said socket.

6. In a detachable hitch for hoisting cables, a body having a socket therein with one end open for reception of a hitch block attached to one end of a cable; said body having a through passage intermediate its ends and which intersects said socket; said body on opposite sides of said socket having slots which connect with said socket and said passage; the slot on one side located for preventing relative rotation between of said body being located above said passage while that on the opposite side is located below said passage; the construction and arrangement being such that the hitch block can be positioned for movement into its socket by passing the same entirely through said passage and then moving the cable to which it is attached sidewise through said slots until said block is in line with said socket after which said block can be moved axially within said socket to its seat.

'7. In a detachable hitch for hoisting cables, a body having a socket therein with one end open to receive-a hitch block attached to one end of a cable and having an outwardly extending side projection; said body having a channel extending therethrough from side to side perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said socket and which is so shaped as to accommodate the passage of the hitch block with its side projection; said body having slots on opposite sides of said channel through which said cable may be moved sidewise to position, and means for anchoring said hitch block within its socket; the construction and arrangement being such as to permit threading of said hitch block and cable through said channel and moving the same and cable into axial alignment with said socket, with the side projection of said hitch block engaging the walls of one of said slots, for preventing rotation of said block within its socket.

8. In a detachable hitch for hoisting cables, 2. body having a socket therein with one end open for receiving a hitch block attached to one end of a cable and having an outwardly extending side projection; said body having a passage extending therethrough from side to side at right angles to said socket for the passage of the hitch block and cable, and slots on opposite sides of said passage through which said cable may be moved sidewise to position; the construction and arrangement being such as to permit the threading of said hitch block through said passage, and movement of said hitch block and cable into axial alignment with said socket, with the side projection of said hitch block engaging the walls of one of said slots for preventing rotation of said block within its socket.

9. A detachable hitch for connecting hoisting cables and comprising a body having a socket therein with one end open for reception of a hitch block, a channel extending through the body from side to side midway between the ends of said socket, and slots on opposite sides of said channel which connect with said socket and said channel, and a bail projecting from that end of the body farthest removed from the bottom of said hitch block socket; the construction and arrangement being such that as a hitch block permanently attached to a hoisting cable can be passed through said channel, moved to position in front of said socket, and then slid axially into said socket.

LESLIE H. ROBERTS. 

